The Citizen, 2016-05-19, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016.
Fire Riders raise funds cycle to beat cancer
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New look, same team
While the Blyth -based Ride to Conquer Cancer team the Fire Riders have lost some riders
from 2015, but gained some new ones for this year, their goal remains the same: to raise
money for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Here are the 2015 Fire Riders with their
inspiration, former Blyth Fire Chief Paul Josling. From left: Josling, Jeff Elliott, Shawn
Loughlin, Heather Elliott, Jeff Josling, Cindy Kerr, Paul Kerr, Rick Elliott, Shanann Josling,
Donna Walsh and Marg Anderson. (Photo submitted)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
A team of local cyclists featuring
three Blyth firefighters will once
again be travelling from Toronto to
Niagara Falls to raise money
for the Princess Margaret
Cancer Centre.
Captained by Jeff Josling, a long-
time member of the Fire Department
of North Huron, the Fire Riders are
again taking part in the Ride to
Conquer Cancer this June.
This is the ninth annual ride and
the primary fundraiser for the cancer
centre, which is one of the leading
research institutions in the world.
Donation
The Blyth Legion and Legion Ladies Auxiliary both made donations to the Blyth Arts and
Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc. on Saturday. The two groups, which are heavily involved in the
initiative due to the Legion's close ties with Memorial Hall, each gave $1,419 to the project.
Shown are: 14/19 Project Director Peter Smith, 14/19 Administrator Karen Stewart, Ladies
Auxiliary Member Jane Smyth, 14/19 Board Member Mary Davidson, Legion First Vice -
President Crystal Taylor, Past -President of the Ladies Auxiliary and Legion Executive Member
Janice Henry, Legion President Ric McBurney and Ladies Auxiliary President Brenda
Finlayson. (Denny Scott photo)
For Josling, however, there is a
personal connection to the centre
that compelled him to participate for
the second year.
Josling's father, Paul, Blyth's
long-time fire chief, is currently
battling cancer and last year, after
the team participated in the ride for
the first time, Paul was taken into the
centre for one of its research
programs.
Jeff has spent some time at the
centre with his father and after
talking to some of the doctors, Jeff's
dedication to the ride was
reinvigorated. Finding out that the
ride is the main driver behind the
centre's research, much of which is
not funded by the Canadian
government, made it all the more
important that he participate for
another year.
Those same doctors, Jeff said,
were thankful to the Fire Riders for
their participation in the 2015 ride
and that thanks, he said, meant a
lot coming from such esteemed
members of the medical community.
While members of last year's team
like firefighters Paul Kerr and Jeff
Elliott and other locals like Marg
Anderson, Donna Walsh and Rick
Elliott won't be back this year,
young Blyth firefighters Michael
McDowell and Kelsy Long have
joined the team alongside Josling,
his wife Shanann and Citizen Editor
Shawn Loughlin.
Both Long and McDowell are very
community -minded, Jeff says, and
Long is involved with preventing
cancer for firefighters, so the cause
is close to her heart as well.
Jeff says it means a lot to him to
have his fellow firefighters riding
alongside him on this greatly
personal challenge, but their support
isn't a surprise.
Josling's first inspiration to get
involved with the ride was his
father's battle with cancer. He said
that Paul didn't have a choice in the
matter as to whether or not he had to
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battle cancer, but he and his friends
and colleagues did have a choice as
to whether or not to help out.
After Jeff and the team completed
the ride, he said he was
overwhelmed by the support of not
just the Blyth and area, but of those
lining the streets of Toronto, Niagara
Falls and everywhere in between
cheering the riders on over the
course of the weekend.
This year's ride will take place on
the weekend of June 11-12,
beginning at the Canadian National
Exhibition on Saturday morning and
wrapping up in front of Niagara
Falls on Sunday afternoon.
This year, the team will be taking
part in the ride wearing custom-
made team jerseys sponsored by
local businesses such as Blyth
Cowbell Brewing Company, Leslie
Motors, M.G.M. Townsend Tire,
Design Concrete, the Blyth
Firefighters Association, the Howick
Firefighters Association, the Blyth
Lions Club and a personal donation
from Doug Scrimgeour and Diane
Radford.
The team has already been
working on several fundraising
initiatives, however, with a team
goal of raising $12,500 for the
cancer centre.
Those interested in contributing
directly can visit conquercancer.ca
and search the "Fire Riders" team, or
they can find any member of the
team and buy a "Beer for a Year"
ticket, with funds going directly to
benefit the cancer centre.
The team is also planning a
fundraising barbecue and meet and
greet for Sunday, May 29 in front of
Scrimgeour's Food Market in Blyth.
The barbecue will run from noon to
2 p.m. with the winner of the
Beer for a Year draw to be
announced at 2 p.m.
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